Method fob the treatment of rubber stock



Feb. 3, 1931. MORAN 1,790,875

METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF RUBBER STOCK Filed Dec. 16, 1927 Patented Feb. 3, 1931 ljeasisi HENRY MORAN, or cr wman, onio 7 YMETHQD roia THE. TREATMENT OERUBBER'STOCK Application filed December 16, 1927. Serial No. 240,388.

This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for treatmentof rubber.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been standard practice to treat rubber stock 5 to What is known as the breaking process preparatory to feeding the same to acalendering machine or a tubing machlne.

Rubberstock, it will be understood is the term used to designate a compound of pure' l rubber obreclaimed rubberand various ingredients which enter into the different rubber compounds according to the nature of the article to be formed. I I

, Inarticles requiring the greatest amount of 5 rubber there maybe as much' as 96% pure rubber and 4% compound, whereas, for other articles of manufacture, there can be as little as %of pure rubber or reclaimed rubber and 90% of compound consisting of sulphur 0 and various'types of fillers.

. The raw rubber or pure rubber or reclaimed rubber is first treated and combined with the proper quantity of compounds in order to. produce the articledesired and after being so 5 compounded is produced insuitable dimensions for storage in stock rooms. It is this stock, taken from the store room which is treated for the purpose of softening the same in order that it-maybe fed to a calendering or tubing machine or other types of rubber working machinery.

The machine usually employed is what'is known as abreak1ng OIifI'lCtlOHlIlgIllflClllIlG 7 consisting of two heavy rollers, preferably ers and carried around a number of times thereby sub ect1ng them to what 1s known as the breakin o oration and dueto thiso eration heatin" u 7 the rubber to the ro er degree without effecting what is known as the cure or vulcanization of the rubbeiyaslit is well known that when rubber is subjected traveling at difierent speeds, and the pieces of rubber stock are fed in between these rollt to a curing or vulcanizing temperature that it their original cost and for their operationand maintenance. I i v Furthermore, it is not only possible butit frequently happens that'the rubber stock after having been treated'i'n the breaking ma- 555 i chine is not of uniform character throughout.

'The breaking machineis also inefiicient at times due to the manner in which labor can be coordinated in the factory employing suchmachines.

V The object of my inventiomtlierefore, is to provide an exceedingly'simple and inexpensive method and; apparatus for treating the .rubber. stock and which will-take the place of the breaking machine. now in common use; Broadly speaking, my invention involves subjecting the rubber stock to, the proper degree of heat fora definite lengthof timefor the purpose, of softening the same so that it for-the next operations. a V

@The invention also involves-providing a suitable tankor receptacle through which the rubber stock can "be passed at the proper speed,and in'which it can be subjectedfto the action of water or steam or both, in order to subject the same to the proper degree ofsoftening temperature. 1 r

' The-invention consists also in certain details hereinafter fully described and set forth in the appended claims. f r v While various forms of apparatus may be devised. for carrying out my method and in vention, I have shown ODQf OYm-Of ClEVlCG and in'which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional 5 view and-Fig.2 isa similar view showing a slight modification. 7 Referringto the drawings A indicates a tank or receptacle in' which water may be I, placed and bcneatl'rithis receptacle ar ae ranged any suitablotype of heating appara- 'tus 'This heating apparatus, in case the same is of the electrical nature, can be at is ready fordeliverv to the machines required i tached to or built into the tank if so desired,

D indicates a cover placfid over the top Qf .1 0, I

carrying off the fumes or vapors and also for the purpose of permitting the proper temperature to be more readily attained and held. I

In practice I prefer to heat the Water within the receptacle to about 210 or 211 Fbut it will of course be understood that this temperature may be slightly higher or IOYQI stock may require. the all important point being that the rubber stock should not be subjected to'such a highdegree of heat as will effect a cure or vulcanization thereof.

It is Well known thatrubber is of a globular nature and it is the transformation or changing of these globules that renders the stock hard or soft, as the case may be, and

'by:thepractice of my improved method, I

havefound that the proper transforma-ition of these globules can be effected in a short space of time by passing the same through the water at the proper temperature.

If desired, cutting knives E may be arranged at the delivery end of the tank for the purpose of cutting the softened stock into strips for the purpose of feeding the same to the tubing machine, but where the softened stock is to be fed to a .calendering machine, thesecutting knives may be omitted. If desired, an endless reticulated belt F can be arranged Within the tank or receptacle for the purpose of guiding the stock as it passes through the receptacle .ortank'upon tne conveyor 13, this endless belt merely serving to hold the stock and conveyor in their proper positions and guiding the same through the tank or receptacle.

By means of the simple apparatus herein shown and described, and by practicing the method as herein set forth, I am able to accomplish in the Way of softening the rubber stock all that can be accomplished by the breaking rollers, and furthermore,this transformation can be accomplished in-a remarkably short time and the entire apparatus invoiving an expenditure so small in comparison with the cost of the breaking rollers as to be negligible.

Furthermore, the transformed stock is-dclivered in a uniform condition due to the fact that all of the stock has been subjected to a. uniform degree length of time.

While I have described the tank or receptacle as containing Water, it will be understood that Water can be omitted and steam in ]ected into the tank or receptacle for the purpose of accomplishing theheating operconsists in passing the rubber stock through a receptacle containing. Water, which Water is heated to approxnnately the bo ling point thereof and whereby the rubber stock is softened Without the cure or vulcanization thereof being effected. as the necessities of the particular receptacle containing fluid, Which fluid is heated to a temperature approximating the boiling pointof Water and substantially below the vulcanizing temperature of such stock whereby the. said stock is softened Withoutthe cure or vulcanization thereof being effected. V

The herein described method which consists in passing the rubber.stockthrough a receptacle containing a liquid Whose boiling pointis below the Yulcanizing ten i'perature of said stock while maintaining the temperature of said liquid at approximatelythe boiling point thereof and whereby the rubber stock. is softened without the cure or vulcanization thereof being effected.

In testimony whereofll hereunto aflix my signature] HENRY LI MORAN.

of heat for a definite ation, it being understood of course that the 7 temperature Within the receptacle is regulated at all times andfmaint-ained at the proper degree of temperature according to the nature of the stock being treated. 

